Researching “Family Lore” — It’s Tricky
So-called “family lore” has no doubt enticed any number of genealogists (or would-be genealogists) into discovering more about their family history. That may be a great impetus to begin “digging”, but how many of us bother to take the time to RESEARCH the “family lore” — or do we just begin our research by finding “hints” which support that fantastic story you’ve heard all your life. In my experience that leads to a lot of “twisted trees (branches, vines and so on)” which make it difficult to actually VERIFY (or DISPROVE) the oft-told tale. Such was the case recently for me.
While writing the “Mining Genealogical Gold” article for the Digging History Magazine issue featuring Arkansas, I discovered a clue I had never seen (or paid attention to) — and it totally disproved the lore (at least a portion of it) which has been recited many times over. I can’t believe I missed it! The database was All Arkansas, U.S., Compiled Marriages from Select Counties, 1779-1992 at Ancestry. Here’s what I wrote:
By searching this database I discovered one particular fact about which I had been misled by “family lore” I guess you would say. My great grandparents, Roland Hall and Maude Rupe (William and Mary Ellen’s daughter), were always said to have snuck off to Mena, the county seat of Polk County, Arkansas, ostensibly because Maude was actually a bit young in 1900. Here is the oft-repeated story (which I will now have to correct!):
Maude Rupe was born September 11, 1886 in Sebastian County, Arkansas to parents William Marion and Mary Ellen (Cochrell) Rupe. She was a fetching young girl who caught the eye of Roland Daniel Hall, my great grandfather. Roland Daniel was born on November 8, 1880 in neighboring Logan County to parents John Clayton and Kate Hall (John and Kate were first cousins).
When Roland and Maude decided to get married, they took a little trip south to Mena, the county seat of Polk County. I’m sure they did that to avoid running into anyone who could attest to the fact that young Maude wasn’t quite yet fourteen years old on April 2, 1900. In fact, she was seven months and nine days short of her fourteenth birthday. Roland, nineteen, was about to marry a thirteen year-old girl. According to the marriage affidavit, Maudie Rupe had arrived at the age of 16 years. The story she told for years thereafter, however, was that she swore to be over the age of eighteen. Maude had written the number “18” on a scrap of paper and slipped it into her shoe. When asked if she was “over the age of 18” she emphatically answered, “Yes, I am!”
The newlyweds moved to Yell County and on June 25 were enumerated there for the 1900 census. My great grandmother apparently deemed it imprudent to try and fool the federal government — her age was listed as 13.
My dad remembered the numerous times that his grandparents sat at their kitchen table, told that story and laughed about it. Now it’s part of our family lore, and even those who never met them have something to remember about our ancestors Roland Daniel Hall and Maude Rupe.
While perusing this database, I also found their marriage record and it clearly states Logan County – I can’t believe I missed that!
Family history will now be “re-written”! Let that serve as a lesson – research your “family lore” (and keep an open mind)!
Thanks for stopping by! For more stories like this one, consider subscribing to Digging History Magazine. Purchasing a subscription entitles you to subscriber benefits (20% off all services, including custom-designed family history charts) AND a chance to win your very own custom-designed family history chart! Details here (or click the ad below).
Ancestories: Signature Stories (and a family tragedy)
Here’s an excerpt from an article in Digging History Magazine which featured Arkansas — its history and how to find the best genealogical and historical records:
As a genealogist I am always looking for creative ways to tell the stories of my client’s (and my own) ancestors. Some time back I added a new dimension to genealogical research by collecting ancestor signatures. When the time comes to format a custom-designed pedigree chart, I have been incorporating these on the chart — something unique to document history besides a bunch of dates and places. Each one will tell a different story. (Sample charts here)
While formatting a few signatures of my Rupe ancestors I was thinking about their stories – call them “signature stories” if you will. One set of signatures was included in a series of affidavits averred to by four members of the Rupe family of Sebastian County, Arkansas in support of George Abbott and his claims for property “appropriated” during the Civil War.
George Abbott was a miller living in either Sebastian or Scott County until February of 1864 when he went to Fort Smith. Abbott was deeply opposed to secession and his sympathies were solidly Union. Like many others in the South (Arkansas was a divided state) who considered themselves Unionists, Abbott was harassed by Rebels.
At Fort Smith he worked for the Union cause and claimed this as evidence of his loyalty. His petition to the Commissioner of Claims, established under the act of March 3, 1871, stated in April of 1864 members of the 9th Kansas Cavalry (as well as two Arkansas units) camped near his home in Sebastian County and appropriated: one mare ($150); two thousand pounds of fresh beef ($120 or 6 cents a pound); and one hundred bushels of corn ($150). He was requesting remuneration in the amount of $420.
Abbott’s petition also included a sworn statement whereby he further established his loyalty to the United States by denying he had ever supported the Confederate cause. Had that statement not been true it’s unlikely he would have ever received anything in return. Abbott had friends and neighbors to support his claims, and instead of appearing in Washington, D.C. before the Commission of Claims, “so great a distance from their homes”, they would provide signed affidavits.
George Washington Rupe (my third great-grandfather and George Abbott’s brother-in-law) and his brother Lewis would serve as primary witnesses. To make his case Abbott told how he had been harassed by rebels – at various times he believed the Confederate Army had stolen four horses, a wagon, about twenty head of cattle, approximately thirty hogs, a gun, saddle and two bridles. Of course, he never received any payment.
Major Gibson threatened to kill George Abbott and my great grandfather George Rupe because they were milling and grinding corn for federal troops. Major Gibson, however, was killed by Union soldiers as he made his way to carry out the threat. Abbott seemed to have been quite generous with both his time and supplies in service of the federal troops. I would imagine George Rupe and his family did the same.
This brought to mind another ancestor who also lived in Sebastian County, Mary Ann (Story) Hooper, my fourth great-grandmother. Mary Ann was born on July 24, 1819, the daughter of a Kentucky physician, Dr. Solomon Story. In 1904, just before her 85th birthday, she was featured in a newspaper article entitled “A Remarkable Arkansas Family”. At the time of the article a “careful count” of her descendants totaled 450, six generations which included one great-great-great grandchild).
To her friends and family she was known as “Aunt Pop”, a woman of charity to those in need. She had lived in Arkansas for about fifty years and in addition to raising her own large family had made herself a blessing to neighbors as well. In that span of time she had served as midwife for over one thousand births, traveling through all sorts of weather “to the aid of her sisters”. During the Civil War she fed hungry soldiers on both sides, no matter their allegiance.
While neither Abbott nor anyone else had actually seen the Kansas group take the provisions, George Rupe had seen them on a road out of Fort Smith and recognized the horse, a chestnut sorrel. Upon reaching the mill he told Abbott what he had seen.
Although Rupe hadn’t seen the other supplies (beef and corn) he believed his father, my fourth great-grandfather, David Price Rupe, and his brother Lewis had seen the cattle in the government’s possession. As to the corn, Rupe just knew how much had been in the crib and it was all missing. George Rupe signed his affidavit:
His brother Lewis gave his statement and signed with his “mark”:
In August of 1864 Abbott had departed Arkansas, escorted by U.S. troops to Missouri. He traveled all the way to St. Joseph to escape rebel harassment, and ostensibly, he claimed, because he was loyal to the United States government. There he remained for about fifteen months before returning to Scott County in 1866.
David P. Rupe backed up Lewis’ claim by stating his son had seen claimant’s cattle in September of 1864. David further investigated and found the cattle in the possession of a Fort Smith woman who told him she had been given the cattle for keeping until they were to be transferred to Kansas. He made no attempt to retrieve the cattle, knowing the woman was the wife of a soldier, and times being what they were, many were heading north to escape the rebels. David signed his affidavit on December 6, 1872:
One more Rupe affidavit, of David’s son Ransom who had served the Union Army during the first two years, evokes an entirely different story, and a sad one at that. However, before I relate it I’ll wrap up George Abbott’s story. My ancestors’ affidavits notwithstanding, Abbott didn’t receive all he was claiming to be owed. In the end he received only $125 in 1875.
Ransom’s affidavit brought to mind a story I found while researching the Rupe family of Sebastian County. Less than six months after signing these affidavits the Rupe family experienced a devastating tragedy. On June 3, 1873 The Daily Gazette reported:
David Rupe, an old and respected citizen of Sebastian County, was foully murdered a few days ago. Two sons of the deceased were arrested as the guilty parties. One was released, and the other held for trial before the circuit court.
A subsequent article provided more details:
Sometime ago we published an account of the killing of old man Rupe and the arrest of his son Ransom for the murder. He was sent to jail at Greenwood. A few days ago he knocked the jailer down with a bottle and made his escape. Ransom is now at large.
On Friday night last, Sam, another son of old man Rupe, committed suicide by shooting himself through the left breast, with a rifle gun. He lived a few hours after he committed the deed and told how he placed the gun and touched it off with his toe. He declared his intention of killing himself beforehand, as the people need rain and he said they couldn’t have it until he died.
What was Ransom and Samuel’s motive for killing their father? It’s unclear. Whether Ransom was ever punished is also unclear; he died in Mena, Arkansas in 1895.
Tragedy beyond belief, stories evoked by a set of ancestor signatures.
Thanks for stopping by! For more stories like this one, consider subscribing to Digging History Magazine. Purchasing a subscription entitles you to subscriber benefits (20% off all services, including custom-designed family history charts) AND a chance to win your very own custom-designed family history chart! Details here (or click the ad below).
The Origins of “Black Friday”: In 1939 They Called it “Franksgiving”
This year the perennial phrase “Black Friday” seems to me to have invaded the public consciousness rather early. One might wonder what to make of this development. Every year it seems the prospect of Christmas festivities, with its ubiquitous “Black Friday” bargains, is inching closer to being a year-round campaign.
For as long as I can remember “Black Friday” has been associated with the “out-of-this-world” Friday sales following Thanksgiving Day, the day which ostensibly meant a chance for retailers to make a last ditch effort to finish “in the black” before year’s end – no matter how dismally their businesses had performed throughout the year. While residing in California, I looked forward to buying the Los Angeles Times Thanksgiving edition because it was filled with hundreds of “Black Friday” bargains.
While listening to a recent podcast, I learned a bit more of the history of “Black Friday”, which in turn made me curious enough to investigate further. As I often do when tracing the origins of a particular phrase or topic, I first turned to newspaper archives to see just how far back the term “Black Friday” has been used. According to History.com the first “recorded” use of the term was related to a crash of the United States gold market on September 24, 1869:
Two notoriously ruthless Wall Street financiers, Jay Gould and Jim Fisk, worked together to buy up as much as they could of the nation’s gold, hoping to drive the price sky-high and sell it for astonishing profits. On that Friday in September, the conspiracy finally unraveled, sending the stock market into free-fall and bankrupting everyone from Wall Street barons to farmers. 1
- This particular event apparently had far-reaching consequences and remained a topic of discussion for quite some time. Those affected continued to reel from the shock for some time, event to the point of people “scarcely feel[ing] ready yet for pleasure-seeking.”2
- Wall Street will long remember in every bone that termination of the Fiskal [an obvious pun] year which finished up so many with the black Friday.3
- “Black Friday’s” gold operations in New York spoiled several “high-life” weddings.4
One man, a cashier at a Cleveland bank, had at some point embezzled a great deal of money and suffered great loss on that day: “It is estimated that the defalcation of J.C. Buell, Cashier of the National Bank of Cleveland, Ohio, who committed suicide recently, amounts to $400,000, most of which is supposed to have been lost on that ‘black Friday’ in October”.5
According to History.com, the real history of Black Friday only dates back to the 1950s when Philadelphia police coined the term to describe the chaos which ensued on the day after Thanksgiving when the city was flooded with hordes of tourists and suburbanites who rushed to the city in advance of the annual Army-Navy football game held on the Saturday following Thanksgiving ever year. Not only were Philly cops not able to take the day off, but they had to work extra-long shifts dealing with the additional crowds and traffic. Shoplifters also took advantage of the bedlam in stores and made off with merchandise, adding to the law enforcement headache.6
That may very well be true, but several years earlier a cultural shift occurred (or at least an attempt was made), proclaimed by President Franklin Roosevelt in the midst of the Great Depression. His actions caused such a stir that folks derisively referred to it as “Franksgiving”. It makes me wonder if perhaps it may have contributed to the present-day tradition of “Black Friday” (followed by “Cyber Monday” and “Small Business Saturday” – and more).
Historically, an official national day of “Thanksgiving” wasn’t celebrated until the 1860s – while the nation was in the midst of being rent in two. In the mid-nineteenth century, Sarah Josepha Hale, editor of Godey’s Lady’s Book, a popular women’s magazine of the era, and author of the children’s poem, “Mary Had a Little Lamb”, began a campaign to unite the nation for one day of annual Thanksgiving. Her idea wasn’t new – it had been around for many years, but the Civil War must have driven her to make a concerted push.
In 1863 Hale wrote President Lincoln, imploring him to make a declaration that Thanksgiving Day should be made “permanently, an American custom and institution.”7 Whether it was Sarah Hale’s letter or Lincoln had already been pondering such a declaration, within one week of receiving her letter Lincoln directed Secretary of War William Seward to draft the declaration, which Lincoln subsequently proclaimed on October 3, 1863:
The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature that they cannot fail to penetrate and even soften the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God.
In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign states to invite and provoke their aggressions, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere, except in the theater of military conflict; while that theater has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.
Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense have not arrested the plow, the shuttle, or the ship; the ax has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege, and the battlefield, and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.
No human counsel hath devised, nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.
It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American people. I do, therefore, invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a Day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that, while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation, and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.8
Every year thereafter each successive president decreed the last Thursday in November as a national day of Thanksgiving – that is, until President Franklin D. Roosevelt, perhaps in response to the nation’s continuing economic struggles, proclaimed that Thanksgiving would be moved up one week. Why? So that retailers might have one additional week between Thanksgiving and Christmas – to potentially “finish in the black” by year’s end.
It appears Roosevelt had been pondering the idea for some time. In 1933, the first year of his first term in office, November had five Thursdays. Under pressure from retailers to provide them some relief by allowing more time for customers to shop for Christmas, he considered their proposal, but didn’t actually act on the idea until 1939 when November again had five Thursdays. Was he about to launch yet another “FDR experiment”?
On August 14, 1939 he announced his intentions at a Campobello Island press conference. After being peppered with a number of questions ranging from the current “international situation” to matters of domestic concern, near the end of the press conference the press was practically begging for a headline. After replying, “I haven’t got a thing”, Roosevelt suddenly came up with a “swell story” that he had entirely forgotten:
I have been having from a great many people for the last six years, complaints that Thanksgiving Day came too close to Christmas. Now this sounds silly. In other words, between Labor Day, which is generally observed, and Christmas, there is too long a gap up to Thanksgiving Day when it comes at the very end of November, and there is a great long gap even for those states that celebrate the twelfth of October, Columbus Day. The stores and people who work, retail people, etc., are very anxious to have it set forward and I checked up and it seems to be the only holiday which is not provided for by law, nationally, even though it may be in a small number of states. In most states it is a Governor’s Proclamation. This year, because Thanksgiving Day is the thirtieth of November, I am going to step it up a whole week and make it not the last Thursday but the Thursday before the last Thursday in November.9
He explained that “in the early days of the Republic, it was held sometime in October, being a perfectly movable feast, and it was not set as the last Thursday in November until after the Civil War, so there is nothing sacred about it, and as there seems to be so much desire to have it come a little earlier, I am going to step it up one week.”10
Well, the press got their headline – and the public’s response was swift, and generally disapproving, at least initially. Newspapers across the nation were filled with quips and jabs at Roosevelt’s audacious proposal:
A Kansas newspaper comes near daring F.D.R. to call it Franksgiving.11
From Plymouth, Massachusetts: James Frasier, chairman of the selectmen of this historic town where Thanksgiving day was first observed, said Monday night he “heartily disapproved” President Roosevelt’s plan to proclaim the holiday a week early.12
SOME GOVERNORS MAY BALK AT ROOSEVELT’S ACTION IN CHANGING THANKSGIVING DAY13
We are strongly opposed to any change that may be made from the regular Thanksgiving Day custom and feel we would be sacrificing the real significance of the day for the purpose of satisfying commercial interests.14
Calendar Men Are Upset at F.R. Thanksgiving Plan – President Roosevelt’s announcement that he was advancing Thanksgiving Day a week today threw consternation into the ranks of calendar makers. . . [one businessman complained,] the date changing would “raise hell” with his business and cost calendar makers from $5,000,000 to $10,000,000.15
On and on the complaints and jabs kept coming, and within days the term “Franksgiving” began appearing in headlines and news items around the nation:
From the Centralia (Washington) Chronicle: Franksgiving Day is Nov. 23 – Thanksgiving day will remain the last Thursday in November.16
It appears a number of localities took this stance, but that didn’t stop the chatter around what many Americans considered a huge cultural shift. No doubt, the date change presented challenges for some annual family gatherings and reunions, such as planned festivities for the Harlin family of Waurika, Oklahoma, whose son had “Franksgiving” day off, but his wife, a librarian, had scheduled their vacation on the “old fashioned date”.
By the time it was all over, however, some folks had come around to liking the idea after all. On December 28 it was reported that a Nebraska hardware man had bemoaned “the dual turkey day proposition . . . but admitted ‘Franksgiving’ was a good idea.”17 Merchants of Columbia, Missouri had to admit “Franksgiving” had actually been quite beneficial. In fact, a delayed Thanksgiving would have considerably hurt their business. Still, however, the complaints and jabs continued.
Roosevelt had initially received telegrams and letters, pro and con, some expressing concern while others praised his actions. The New York Times had gone so far as to issue a special release, stating that the president had “turned a deaf ear to pleas of retail merchants and other trade organization.” Surely the date change “would cause considerable confusion”, as well as “disarrange football games which are scheduled for Thanksgiving and interfere with railroad excursions at that time.”18
The debate raged again the following year as some states proclaimed Thanksgiving for the third Thursday of November, while others fell back to the traditional fourth Thursday. Roosevelt’s declaration, after all, wasn’t legally binding. In Texas the debate was settled by setting both dates as government holidays. In 1940 and 1941 November had the customary four Thursdays and Roosevelt once again declared the third Thursday as Thanksgiving as the third Thursday. Another round of political and societal dust-ups occurred yet again. By late 1941, however, both houses of Congress had their fill of the controversy, passing a bill to officially set aside the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day.
At least, Roosevelt never followed through with another idea his administration concocted – changing the date not to the fourth Thursday but rather the “Monday nearest the fifteenth of November.” In response, the Washington Federation of Churches, which had gotten wind of the idea, forwarded a message to the President’s office: “The Protestants will raise ‘Hell’ if you change their Thanksgiving Day celebration from Thursday to Monday.”19
In lieu of moving Thanksgiving up one week, as Roosevelt chose to do during challenging economic times, might the current designation of the Friday after Thanksgiving Day being called “Black Friday” be a compromise of sorts, keeping everyone happy? Wishing everyone who chooses (or dares) to participate a happy “Black Friday” shopping day!
SPEAKING OF BARGAINS, Digging History and Digging History Magazine has one of its own, a special “10-10” promotion. See the details here: digging-history.com/dhmpromo/
Researching and Publishing a “Parade of States”
I’ve recently embarked on a bit of an adventure — a quest to research and publish a series of Digging History Magazine issues which focus on each American state — highlighting the history and how and where to find the best records for historical and genealogical research. I’m not selecting them in any particular order.
In fact, prior to the last few issues, I had previously published a number of issues which focused (mostly) on an entire state: Oklahoma (September 2018); Colorado (May-June 2019); Kansas (July-August 2019); New Mexico-Part I (July-August 2020) and New Mexico – Part II (September-October 2020). After concentrating on series such as the “Roaring Twenties”, the “Fabulous Fifties” and the “Dirty Thirties” (Great Depression years), I’ve decided to devote quite a few upcoming issues (not necessarily consecutive) to what I call a “Parade of States”. Occasionally, I may publish a themed issue since I have several ideas percolating on the “back burner” as well.
I began this series with a focus on the great state of Wyoming, a place I’ve been fascinated with for quite some time and a place I didn’t know a whole lot about history-wise. Then I followed it up with a two part-series on Massachusetts: (September-October 2024) and (November-December 2024). I began 2025 with an issue focusing on Rhode Island and Connecticut, both with roots in early Massachusetts settlements and expansion. Up next — New Jersey!
These are available by single issue purchase, OR if you purchase an Annual Subscription, I’ll give you FOUR issues of your choice from the states collection (including the earlier publications).
Have questions? Drop me an email and I’ll be happy to help: mailto: [email protected]
It’s Been Awhile . . . . Here’s what I’ve been up to. . .
It’s been quite some time since I posted on the blog. These days I’m consumed with writing, researching and publishing Digging History Magazine, along with taking care of my mom (among other things). The last three weeks were an interlude of sorts — a very busy one — as I was able to bang out not one or two, but SEVEN draft family history charts for clients (and one for a subscriber who won a promotional giveaway). Click each image to enlarge and get a better look.
For me it was a lot of work, but I loved every minute of it! When I create these custom-designed family history charts, I treat each one as if it were my own and do my best to use not only the research my clients have gathered, but I continue digging around until I find something interesting they’ve never uncovered. Such was the case for all these charts.
Digging History Magazine Volume 2023: Issue 1 is Out!
I’m a bit late posting this, but the first issue of 2023 is out and begins the year with an extended (two-part) series on the “Roaring Twenties”. I originally planned to focus solely on the years 1920-1929, but after discovering how volatile the period of time between the end of World War I and the beginning of a new decade were, I decided to start out with an extensive look at 1919. I hope you find it as informative and interesting as I did.
Again, in honor of the magazine’s fifth anniversary I have spliced in some articles from the archives.
● Before the “Roar”
* The Great Molasses Flood of 1919
* Hell for Rent: A Nation Goes Dry
* The Great Red Scare
* Anarchy!
* Red Summer
● The Decade That Changed America: Part One – A Return to Normalcy?
● Family History Toolbox
● May I Recommend
● The Dash: Carbon Petroleum Dubbs (1881-1962)
Enjoy the issue! I am looking forward to the next issue – Part Two of “The Roaring Twenties” series featuring articles like: Fads, Flappers and Feminism; Bootleggers, Cow Shoes and Tommy Guns; Mining Genealogical Gold: Finding Records of the “Roaring Twenties” (and the stories behind them) and more!
This issue is for sale here by single issue, or by signing up for a magazine subscription here. New subscribers automatically get entered into an ongoing Special Promotion (a custom-designed family history chart, worth up to $350!). Details here. And, all subscribers get an extra 5% off all services (including charts) this year (2023)!
RootsTech 2023 Conference Specials and Giveaways
It’s that time of the year when genealogists around the world either gather in Salt Lake City or online to hear awesome presentations and check out all the new goodies at RootsTech. This year Digging History decided to purchase a virtual booth.
There are a number of virtual exhibitors, but I heard not many of them are doing giveaways. However, Digging History has some awesome giveaways — and it’s open to everyone, even if you’re not attending RootsTech. You have until March 10 to enter either the general giveaway (giving away two 2-hour gift certificates for any service Digging History offers, worth $70) or the GRAND PRIZE — a custom-designed family history chart worth up to $350! Details about how to enter here:
https://digging-history.com/rootstech-2023/
Questions? Email me: [email protected]
Custom-Designed Family History Charts: FAQs
Last year I wrote a couple of blog articles about pricing for my custom-designed family history charts:
- Preserving Family History: Pricing for Custom-Designed Family History Charts
- Family History: How Much is it Worth to Preserve it?
The purpose of this article is to point out a few things about how the process works and how you don’t have to wait until you’ve found all your ancestors back to Adam (just kidding!).
What is the chart size?
The charts I create are more often than not 36 x 24 for which I can fit up to 8 (or 9) generations. Usually that means 6 generations in the “boxed” area of the chart which, if beginning with yourself, includes through third great-grandparents. The additional generations (children, grandchildren, perhaps great-grandchildren) are included at the bottom the chart, outside the boxed area).
Are there other sizes?
I have also done smaller charts (20×30 or 16×24), depending on how many generations are included in the boxed area. Each project is unique and the final size will reflect the number of generations and the items you want to include on the chart.
Ancestors of Note
Clients often want to highlight their ancestors of note. For instance, I have clients whose ancestor signed the Declaration of Independence or was a passenger on the Mayflower. Those ancestors are distant great-grandparents. However, there’s plenty of room to highlight those family history facts around the perimeter of the boxed area.
What other items can I include?
There is plenty of room in the boxed area for a picture of your ancestor. If you don’t have one, an image called a “flag map” is inserted to represent the state (or nation) where they were born. This makes for a colorful chart! Included for each ancestor in the boxed area is their birth and death dates, as well as signatures.
The items placed around the box perimeter might include news clippings, short patriot bios (Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War, World War I and II, etc.). When I can locate them, I like to lift county names off old maps to show where my client’s ancestors owned land.
Cattle brands, if they can be found, make great items to display.
The purpose of selecting these types of historical items is to make each one conversation-worthy — a way to get your family interested in their history. What a client selects for their chart is obviously unique to their own family’s history.
Depicti
on of an ancestor’s land is a great conversation starter. For instance this client’s ancestor (Francis Fulcher) was an early Texan. What kind of challenges must he and his family have faced in the early days of Texas?
What about brick walls?
For genealogists “brick walls” are a fact of life. Many of us have searched diligently for years on end to fill as many gaps in our tree as possible. However, there are some ancestors who left little in the way of a paper trail. Most charts that I have created have blank boxes, and I might add that most clients, even after having their chart designed, are still actively researching their family history.
What if you eventually find that elusive ancestor, or want to add something else to your chart? I currently use Walgreens Photo for printing charts up to 36 x 24. They run specials every week, sometimes up to 50% off which means the larger charts cost less than $20 to print, so reprinting is not cost-prohibitive.
I’m on a tight budget
As are we all! I offer a number of ways to pay for all my services, charts included. If you only have so much to spend per month, then a recurring payment can be set up. For instance, $25 purchases one hour of chart work.
For Digging History Magazine subscribers, the rate drops to $20 per hour (20% off all services for subscribers). If you want to package a certain number of hours per month that can be customized to fit your budget. I’m very flexible!
These are just a few questions you might have. If you have more questions or you’re ready to get started with a custom-designed family history chart, don’t hesitate to contact me at [email protected]. Other chart samples here: https://digging-history.com/charts/.
Digging History Magazine – Volume 2022: Issue 4 is Out!
The fourth issue of 2022 was inspired by a recent book I read: The Divorce Colony: How Women Revolutionized Marriage and Found Freedom on the American Frontier. In this issue you will find the following feature articles:
● Courtship, Marriage and Divorce: Early American Style. This lead article covers early American customs and laws (seventeenth and eighteenth century) regarding courtship, marriage and divorce, including those of the Puritan, Anglican and Quaker faiths.
● Ye Olde Runaway Marriage: Tying the Knot at a “Gretna Green”. Have you ever experienced difficulty locating a marriage record for an ancestor? Do you sometimes wonder if they ever married? Might they have married somewhere unexpected, away from their hometown, a place sometimes referred to as a “Gretna Green”? It’s a fascinating history.
● Mining Genealogical Gold: It pays to PERSI(st) – uncovering buried treasure in newsletters, magazines and journals. If you’ve never used this special genealogical resource, you’re in for a treat. Numerous examples of using this valuable resource to potentially uncover stories about your ancestors.
● (Oh, Dear!) The Pitfalls of Genealogical Research (gold mine or land mine?). If you’ve been researching family history for awhile, it’s possible you have come across unexpected – or perhaps even shocking – information about one or more of your ancestors. How should we respond? Do we freely share the information or hide it away? Of course, our response may depend on what we uncovered.
● The Dash: Virgil Edwin Earp (1879-1959). A detailed look at the famous (or infamous) Earp family. Subtitled: “The $64,000 Question: Did Virgil Earp (Wyatt’s Nephew) Get the Answers Ahead of time and Was He Really Born in Tombstone?”
Enjoy the issue! I am looking forward to the next issue, featuring a topic I’ve wanted to cover for some time – “Ways to Go in Days of Old”. 2022 will wrap up with an issue featuring the Korean War and finding records of our ancestors who served.
This issue is on sale in the magazine store: https://digging-history.com/store/?model_number=julaug-2022 or available when you purchase a subscription (three options): https://digging-history.com/digging-history-magazine-subscription/
Subscribers received 20% off all services at Digging History, including custom-designed family history charts: https://digging-history.com/charts/ For more information, contact me: [email protected].
Sharon Hall, Publisher and Editor
Navigating the Digging History Magazine Store
The Digging History web site is designed to provide information about our services and to post occasional blog articles. However, the primary focus is selling subscriptions to Digging History Magazine or purchasing single issues and other digital products. Most importantly: You MUST create an account (see details below) in order to access your purchase. Here are some tips for making a purchase in the magazine store:
When you add a subscription or any other product (magazine issue, individual article, etc.) you will be able to go to the cart and see its contents, how much you will be charged (including sales tax if applicable). Click “Checkout” and you will be asked to provide some information to create an account. Why do you need to provide this information?
- Because we sell subscriptions and digital downloads (e.g., single magazine issues, special editions and individual articles) our cart software requires that you MUST create an account when making a purchase.
- Your address is required because Digging History is located in Texas and Texas residents are required to pay sales tax (all other states = no sales tax). Your address will tell the payment processor whether to charge sales tax (Click the image below to enlarge).
- Provide all required information, including creation of a password (and re-typing it). Press “Continue to Payment” and then you will have the option to pay either by PayPal or Credit Card (Click image below to enlarge).
- Select your preferred payment method. If selecting PayPal you will be re-directed to log into your PayPal account where you will select your payment method. If paying via credit card, provide the requested information (number, expiration date, etc.).
- Review your cart one more time and if satisfactory, press “Submit Order”.
Check your email and momentarily you will receive a receipt for your purchase. Your purchase should be attached to the receipt, If not, please contact me at [email protected] with information as to what you purchased and I’ll be happy to forward you a copy as soon as possible. If you have any questions about making a purchase or require assistance, don’t hesitate to contact me at the email address above.